Karl Lagerfeld Dies; A High Priest Of High Fashion

German designer Karl Lagerfeld died in Paris, according to fashion house LVMH, owner of Fendi. He is seen here at the end of Chanel’s 2019 women’s ready-to-wear show in Paris, where a beach was created to show off Lagerfeld’s collection

Stephane Mahe / Reuters

Karl Lagerfeld, the German designer who was the artistic director of Chanel and Fendi and also created his own brand, has died in Paris. For years, Lagerfeld sought to obscure his age; he was reportedly 85.

Lagerfeld worked with some of fashion’s biggest design houses, showing a knack for reinventing classic styles with innovative flourishes. In the process, he brought Fendi to new heights in the 1960s and revamped Chanel after being named that brand’s director in the 1980s.

Chanel announced the designer’s death Tuesday, less than a month after he uncharacteristically missed shows for the fashion house, prompting questions about his health.